Electric clock



July 6, 1943. CQLE 2,323,796

ELECTRIC CLOCK Filed Oct. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 17B. vale IN V EN TOR.

y 1943. F. B. COLE 2,323,796

ELECTRIC CLOCK Filed Oct. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J /a a M I9L3Z -3"? l I 7 L d4 3/ z T, 30

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Patented July 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CLOCK Frank H. Cole, Kokome, Ind.

Application (ictober 13, 1941, Serial No. 414,892

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric clock, one of the objects being to provide a clock of this type utilizing a pendulum and which does not require the employment of an escapement, it being possible to operate the clock with either an A. C. or a D. C. current.

Another object is to provide a clock utilizing electromagnets the circuits to which are adapted to be alternately closed by the action of the pendulum whereby an impulse is given to the pendulum at the beginning of each swing to insure continuous oscillation thereof at a predetermined rate.

Another object is to provide an electric clock which does not require the use of the usual rotary motor and its field and in which the number of part and the wear upon the bearings is materially reduced.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure l is an elevation of the pendulum and the mechanism associated therewith and constituting the present invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is an elevation of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1 showing the relative positions of the parts When the pendulum is moved to one limit, a portion of the structure being shown in section.

Figure is a view showing in diagram the circuit including the electromagnets of the clock.

Figure 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of a portion of a slightly modified form of clock.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates the main plate of the structure provided with transverse upper and lower openings 2 and 3 and extending transversely of this plate between the openings and at one side is a bracket 4 while another bracket 5 is similarly located on the opposite side of the plate I. Secured to the plate I between the openings 2 and 3 is the base 6 of a bearing sleeve 6 in which an arbor i is mounted for rotation, this arbor bearing at one end in the bracket 5 as shown at B. Sleeve 6 is supported at that end remote from its base 6' by the bracket 4 which has an opening 9 into which the end portion of the sleeve 6 projects. Arbor l is connected by suitable gearing to the minute and hour hands of the timepiece and is provided with a wheel l0 adapted to rotate therewith between plate I and bracket 5. This wheel has an annular series of teeth l i extending therefrom toward the plate it, each of the teeth having an obliquely disposed advancing edge while its opposite edge is perpendicular to the plane of movement of the wheel. The two edges of each tooth come together to form a point l2.

A pendulum l3 has been indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 and is provided with the usual adjustable ball hi whereby its rate of movement can be regulated. The pendulum has a tubular sleeve l5 extending perpendicularly to its path of movement and this sleeve bears on the sleeve 5 and is held against longitudinal displacement by bracket 4 and the base 8 as shown in Fig. 2.

A plate I6 is secured to and moves with the pendulum sleeve i5 and joined to this plate at diametrically opposed points are tubular guides II which, in turn, are attached to a connecting plate Hi. The guides are extended through the openings 2 and 3 and the plate i8 is located between plate and bracket 5. The openings 2 and 3 are so proportioned that the guides IT can swing freely therein as the pendulum oscillates.

Mounted in each guide ii is a pin i9 having a beveled end 20 held normally projected into the path of the teeth H by coiled springs 20 held in guides H by screws 2|. By means of these screws the compression of the springs can be regulated.

The pendulum extends above its axis of movement and is provided at its upper end with a cross-head 22. The ends of this cross-head are equidistant from the longitudinal center of the pendulum and pivotally connected to each end portion is a coiled spring 23 the lower end of which is coupled by means of a rod 24 to an armature 25. This armature is above and normally spaced from the core of an electromagnet 26.

Extending upwardly from the cross-head is a short post 21 having a cross-arm 28 fixedly secured thereto. Carried by this cross-arm but insulated therefrom is a contact strip 29 the ends of which are offset to provide contacts 30 and 3| respectively. These terminals can be adjusted relative to the cross-arm by means of screws 32.

In the drawings insulation has been indicated at 33.

Mounted on but insulated from the upper corner portions of the plate I are resilient contacts 34 and 35 respectively located in the paths of the respective contacts 30 and 3|. As shown particularly in Fig. 5 contact 34 at the right side of the apparatus is electrically connected to the electromagnet 26 at the left side of the apparatus whereas contact 35 at the left side of the apparatus is electrically connected to the magnet 26 at the right side thereof. One of the leads 36 leading to the clock is connected to the contact strip 33 while the other lead, 31, is electrically connected to one terminal of each of the electromagnets 26.

Obviously when the pendulum is in normal position the contact strip 33 is spaced at its ends from the respective contacts 34 and 35 and, therefore, the two electromagnets are deenergized so that their solenoids can thus be suspended adjacent to but out of contact with their cores.

When the pendulum is set in motion it causes the contacts and 3i alternately engage the respective contacts 34 and so that the magnets will be successively energized. For example when the pendulum is swung to the left in Fig. 1, contact 30 will engage contact 34 and thus close the circuit to the left-hand magnet 26. That magnet will be energized promptly and will pull armature 25 to its core, thereby placing the spring of said armature under tension. As soon as the pendulum starts its return movement, the contact between 30 and 34 will be broken but in the meantime energy stored in the spring 23 will have given the pendulum a sufficient momentum to carry it to its other extreme position whereupon contact 30 will engage contact 35 and complete the circuit to the other magnet. Thus the movement of the pendulum will be reversed, any inertia developed therein being ofiset by the impulse received from the stored energy of the tensioned spring. It will be noted, by referring to the left of Fig. 4, that when an armature is supported away from its electromagnet, it is held at an angle to the magnet by the spring 23. When the armature is attracted by its magnet it will not only pull through the spring and upon one end of the cross-head 22 but will also be whipped to a vertical position substantially coaxial with the energized magnet and as shown at the right of Fig. 4. This whipping or lateral swinging action of the armature and its rod 24 will result in a supplemental impulse being imparted through the spring to the cross-head following the initial yielding pullthrough the spring upon said crosshead.

Everytime the pendulum swings in one direction, the spring-pressed pins l9 engage two dimetrically opposed teeth H and rotate the wheel l0 one point. When the pendulum swings in the opposite direction these pins move away from the engaged teeth into position to engage and actuate another set of teeth.

It is to be understood that instead of having an electromagnet with an armature spaced therefrom, a solenoid 26' could be used as shown in Fig. 6, the core 25' being connected by a spring 23 to the cross-head 22'. In other respects the construction and operation of this modified form of apparatus is the same as heretofore described.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric timeplace including spaced electromagnets fixedly mounted, a pivot device fixedly mounted at a point between and equidistant from the electromagnets, a pendulum supported for swinging movement upon the pivot device and having a portion extended thereabove, a cross-head fixed upon and movable with said upwardly extended portion of the pendulum and extended in opposite directions therefrom, coiled springs suspended from the respective end portions of the cross-head at points equidistant from the pivot member, armatures for the respective electromagnets, rods extended from and fixedly connected to the respective armatures and enaged and supported by the respective springs,

-a fixed contact at one side of the pendulum electrically connected to the magnet at the opposite side of said pendulum, a fixed contact at the other side of the pendulum electrically connected to the other magnet, laterally spaced movable contacts carried by the pendulum and shiftable thereby for engagement with the respective fixed contacts, and an electric circuit having one side connected to the movable contact and the other side connected through the magnets to the respective fixed contacts, said contacts cooperating, during the oscillation of the pendulum for deenergizing one of the magnets and thereafter energizing the other magnet during each movement of the pendulum in one direction.

2. An electric timepiece including spaced electlomagnets fixedly mounted, a pivot device fixedly mounted at a point between and equidistant from the electromagnets, a pendulum supported for swinging movement upon the pivot device and having a portion extended thereabove, a cross-head fixed upon and movable with said upwardly extended portion of the pendulum and extended in opposite directions therefrom, coiled springs suspended from the respective end p0rtions of the cross-head at points equidistant from the pivot member, armatures for the respective electromagnets, and rods extended from and fixedly connected to the respective armatures and engaged and supported by the respective springs, 'and cooperating fixed and movable means controlled'by th oscillation of the crossheads with the pendulum, for successively deenergizing one of the magnets and thereafter energiZing the other magnet during each movement of the pendulum in one direction, said means including yieldable contacts adjacent to the respective ends of the cross-heads, resilient contacts carried by and movable with the crossheads for engagement with the contacts first mentioned, alternately, and an electric circuit including connections between the magnets and the respective first named contacts and between the magnets and their removable contacts.

FRANK B. COLE. 

